Half of all American households own an Apple product

A recently-conducted survey found that there is an Apple product in over 55 million U.S. homes, and one-in-ten households that do not fall into that category plan to make a purchase in the next year.

According to CNBC's All-America Economic survey, conducted by pollster Bill McInturff in conjunction with Hart Research Associates, the iPhone maker's products have a unique momentum as the average Apple-owning home has three such devices. The March 19 to 22 poll consisted of answers from 836 Americans and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.

“It's a fantastic business model — the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more,” said Jay Campbell, a vice president at Hart Research. “Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level.”

Unsurprisingly, the most saturated Apple demographic makes over $75,000 a year, with 77 percent of these higher income buyers owning at least one device. On average, high-earners own an average of three Apple products. This is contrasted by a 28 percent ownership rate for people earning $30,000 or less.

Some 63 percent of survey respondents between the ages of 18 and 34 said they were Apple users, which mirrored the answers of 35-to-49-year-olds. Ownership fell off moving further up the scale, with only half of 50-to-64-year-olds and 26 percent of those aged 65-and-up using a product made by the Cupertino, Calif., company.

Source: CNBC

Apple devices seem to be popular with children as over 61 percent of households with kids own at least one, which is 13 percent more than homes without 17-and-under family members.

Finally, the products have a bi-coastal appeal, though west-coasters have a significantly higher adoption rate with 57 percent of households counting themselves as users compared to an average 47 to 51 percent for the rest of the country.

According to the naysayers, this is not a result of people actually liking Apple products. Instead, it's attributed to Apple's "marketing machine," which apparently has the capability of breaking into your house and placing its products there. And somehow, while illegally in your house, it takes your money as well. You get a receipt, of course.

Is this why it seems to be popular to hate Apple? I'm beginning to wish Apple was still a company that made superior products but was still the underdog. Just last week, I had to listen to a co-worker complain about how difficult his wife's iPhone is to use. Wow. iPhone difficult to use? I wonder what he'd think of an Android phone.

According to the naysayers, this is not a result of people actually liking Apple products. Instead, it's attributed to Apple's "marketing machine," which apparently has the capability of breaking into your house and placing its products there. And somehow, while illegally in your house, it takes your money as well. You get a receipt, of course.

Amazing.

Or, Apple products are good. Most other products suck ass.

Right. According to the trolls, basement nerds, and iHaters something like half of America are now nothing more than "iSheep" who will buy anything "crApple" puts out. Talk about a really serious RDF problem, these guys have one in spades. And it ain't working either.

Given that absolute power corrupts absolutely, no sane person would regard this as good news.

Big = Bad.

All one has to do is take a look at your posting history on AI to realize news like this must drive you absolutely up the wall. The constant drivel of your anti-Apple sentiments outs you as one of those types who frequents user centric forums like AI just so you can fling poo at the wall.

It's a fantastic business model the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more, said Jay Campbell, a vice president at Hart Research. Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level.

That is one of the main ingredients to Apple's success. They synergy between products adds value to all the existing products with every new purchase.

It's a fantastic business model the more of our products you own, the more likely you are to buy more, said Jay Campbell, a vice president at Hart Research. Planned obsolescence has always been a part of the technology industries sales model, but Apple has taken it to a whole new level.

That is one of the main ingredients to Apple's success. They synergy between products adds value to all the existing products with every new purchase.

That is one of the main ingredients to Apple's success. They synergy between products adds value to all the existing products with every new purchase.

Exactly. An iPhone is great. An iPhone with AirPlay to an Apple TV is pretty cool. iCloud on that iPhone is cool. That same iCloud (and all the same content) automatically on a brand new iPad is amazing. A new Mac, which also talks to iCloud, can sync the iPhone and iPad, keep everything in sync and relatively safe, can also talk to the Apple TV, and can automatically do a wireless physical backup to a Time Capsule that can be used to set up a second Mac with the exact same settings, apps, content, etc. really opens the eyes to Apple's vision. Everything in the house simply talks to each other, knows what to do, and lets you live your life.

I've probably spent around $200K on Apple gear over the years counting both business and home and I'm in the market for several more purchases right now but I'm waiting for the new iMac, Mac Pro, MBP and iPhone.

These results rely on the answers of one person per household. I work with school children and I've seen many iPod Nano clones (the previous generation). I've also seen several other MP3 players. The children all call them iPods no matter the brand. This makes me wonder if parents who have bought or seen their children with MP3 players are just assuming that their child's device is made by Apple when it really isn't. If they were asked if anyone in their family had an iPod the answer might have been yes even if the device was an MP3 player from another company.

Owning an Apple computer is quite different. I'm sure people who said one of those was in their household wouldn't mistake a Dell computer for an Apple computer.

According to the naysayers, this is not a result of people actually liking Apple products. Instead, it's attributed to Apple's "marketing machine," which apparently has the capability of breaking into your house and placing its products there. And somehow, while illegally in your house, it takes your money as well. You get a receipt, of course.

Amazing.

Or, Apple products are good. Most other products suck ass.

There are times I wish that my thinking could be as simple as this. Only two possibilities. Pick one.

Black or white. All or nothing.

And to be completely confident that my conclusion is correct, instead of assigning tentative probabilities to conclusions, and searching out further information which might tend to bolster it or make it somewhat less likely.

The world would be much easier if there was only one reason for each fact. And it would be simpler still if I could just accept my first conclusion, with no modifications either necessary or even possible. Going to extremes, with everything either perfect or "suck ass".

Is this why it seems to be popular to hate Apple? I'm beginning to wish Apple was still a company that made superior products but was still the underdog. Just last week, I had to listen to a co-worker complain about hoe difficult his wife's iPhone is to use. Wow. iPhone difficult to use? I wonder what he'd think of an Android phone.

Nah. Given Apple's growth, I think you are just overreacting to the bitter Fandroid demographic that likes to hate Apple on these forums. The average person has a favorable impression of Apple.

Except as mentioned, all these items are still in regular use. I don't even consider myself an enthusiastic Apple fan. I just like stuff that works. I tried for a long time to find a non-iPhone phone that I liked, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung... Really?! You can't make a phone that I don't want to pound into oblivion with a sledge hammer?

I had to listen to a co-worker complain about how difficult his wife's iPhone is to use. Wow. iPhone difficult to use?

perhaps a dumb phone is easier to understand by that person.

Yes, it's the ecosystem that works really great with Apple products. As I remember it, it was the iLife suite and the video cameras they put on the store shelves that made people realise its all connected, a one-stop shop for your digital life. The whole integration of their software, and now hardware with iCloud and all - gotta love it for what it is.

There are times I wish that my thinking could be as simple as this. Only two possibilities. Pick one.

Black or white. All or nothing.

And to be completely confident that my conclusion is correct, instead of assigning tentative probabilities to conclusions, and searching out further information which might tend to bolster it or make it somewhat less likely.

The world would be much easier if there was only one reason for each fact. And it would be simpler still if I could just accept my first conclusion, with no modifications either necessary or even possible. Going to extremes, with everything either perfect or "suck ass".

what a simple and beautiful way to go through life.

You need to lay off your brand of kool-aid and just accept that most other products really do suck ass. I constantly shake my head at the complete garbage that is put out there that try to compete against or ride the coattails of Apple. Trash. Even if Apple weren't a player, it's still junk.

...I'm beginning to wish Apple was still a company that made superior products but was still the underdog. ....

I wished the same too but I guess it is inevitable. I mean you cannot change something for good so drastically i.e. iPod + iTunes + iTMS w/o picking up followers en masse. Had Apple only make computers, the exclusivity/superiority would still be the case.